This is a continuation of Part 1 and Part 2 of this study.
I do really intend to finish this even though I haven't come back to it for quite sometime. I got hung up on "one baptism" a while back and then things got a little crazy at home and work and I've not been doing any in-depth Bible study. Well, now I'm back at it again, as I always should have been...
The message is unity. We are unified through all thing things mentioned in the "ones" of the Ephesians 4:4-6 passage and for all the "alls" of the passage. As a brief aside on the subject of unity. This summer has been a terrific test for Terri and I. We've been challenged to hold to our church despite the fact that we disagree with a great many things our church practices. I won't really go further than that since it would just be vague hints without really going into it. However, I will say it has been a very tough challenge for us to stay optimistic and see what God is doing even when the people we disagree with don't seem to even comprehend our point of view. This study has helped me stay a bit more optimistic than I might otherwise have been about this.
One baptism. The hang up I had with this two word section is that it isn't completely clear whether Paul meant one dunk-under-the-water or one encouter-with-the-Holy-Ghost. Looking through my various commentaries, I found that the consensus splits pretty well down the middle.
One argument for Spirit-baptims is that Paul is talking about unity in the body and the Spirit is definitely a strongly unique gift to the believer. Another commentary argued that it was probably water-baptism because he's already mentioned "one Spirit" and there's nothing about Spirit-baptism anywhere else in the context (not that there's anything about water-baptism either so I wouldn't really give credence to the latter argument). A third possibility (given by my friend Brent) is that Paul's referring to water-baptism as a way of saying, "It doesn't matter who baptized you, just that you were." (You can read here for my refutation of Brent's statement.)
Naturally, the proper solution to this is to assume that he could have meant either (and even possibly both via a word-play that appears to work as well in English as in Greek, though I'm hardly a Greek scholar, so I wouldn't even take my own word for that. ;) So, let me cover both bases:
Water-baptism. Water baptism is commanded in Jesus' famous "Great Commission," which can be found in Matthew 28:19-20:
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age."
Jesus even states in Mark 16:16 that "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." This passage, amongst others, has led some Christians to take the stance that water-baptism is required to enter heaven (particularly at my one-time alma mater, Manhattan Christian College). However, I would disagree with going that far, but I would say that as the first act of obedience, it's something not to hesitate over. If you claim to believe, but aren't willing to be baptized, I would be skeptical of your faith. New believers tend to be refreshingly enthusiastic and "sold out" rather than hesitant about these things, in my experience.
This baptism is an experience which represents the fact that we are unified in Christ's death and resurrection. A pretty common liturgy accompanying submersive baptism is to paraphrase Romans 6:3-4. As the pastor lays the baptizee back into the water he says, "We are buried with Christ into death" and as he lifts him back out, "And raised with Him again to walk in the newness of life." To me, this is what baptism is about, the outward sacrament that demonstrates our faith visibly.
Finally, if Paul means water-baptism, then he means to state we find unity in it. Specifically, all Christians are baptized regardless of race, experience, status, class, or sex. Galatians 3:23-28 says, "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." It is clear that this sacrament is performed on all and demonstrates the unity of all.
Application: All believers should be baptized. If you have asked Christ to come into your life and have not been baptized, you should talk to your pastor and ask him to baptize you at the next opportunity. I have actually been baptized twice. When I was in junior high, I took a catechism class at my church and then was baptized. However, I did not then believe. I still thought that I was just doing what I was supposed to do in order to go to heaven after I die. However, at the age of sixteen, I realized that I couldn't win myself into heaven and that Christianity wasn't just some set of "holy don'ts," but a living, breathing relationship with the God of the universe. However, I had already been baptized, so I was never sure if I should be baptized again. When we joined New Hope, one of the rules for membership was that you'd been baptized after you'd been "saved." So, the associate pastor of the time, Jeff Smith, baptized me in the pool at the Holiday Inn here in town.
Spirit-baptism. Okay, I tend to lean this direction. Basically, water-baptism is really a common ritual among many beliefs, cults, and other sects. Even during the time of Christ baptism predated the practice of Christians and John the Baptist. It was already a practice used by several Jewish sects of the time for various reasons and (if my memory of this is correct) I believe it was even practiced in general as a preparation of Jewish grooms before going to get married. Therefore, this seems like this practice would tend to give unity between Christians and a lot of others, which as I mentioned in Part 1 is the key to Christian-unity—i.e., unity is between believers and excludes unbelievers.
Spirit-baptism is something all believers experience, but no unbeliever experiences. "For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body–Jews or Greeks, slaves or free–and all were made to drink of one Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12;13) "But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us not because of works odne by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior." (Titus 3:4-6)
However, Spirit-baptism is an event that occurs at the moment of redemption. As the Bible Exposition Commentary noted, "We are commanded to be filled with the Spirit, but we are never commanded to be baptized with the Spirit." Therefore, all believers are immediately and, therefore, forever baptized by the Holy Spirit. It is after this point our goal to "fill" ourselves with the Holy Spirit after our baptism. Ephesians 5:18 puts it, "do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit."
All Christians are linked by this Spirit-baptism. We all have the "power of the Spirit" working in our lives. This is the power that works in us to help us to become better Christians.
Application: We are all linked in this way and should work to strive to hear the desires of the Spirit. In general, this just means reading the Bible, meditating upon it, and praying that God would reveal his specific will to us. As a form of unity, we should be encouraging fellow believers to do the same. We should be pouring ourselves out on each other and by doing so by relying on the strength from the Spirit rather than our own weak striving we share and build unity in the Spirit. The actual "how" for this is difficult for me to explain because it's more about motive and attitude than action. If we want to serve God we need to do it without taking ownership of that service, but rather seeking to administer the service which belongs to God.
I guess my final remarks on this segment of the study is that while I tend to lean on the latter "Spirit-baptism" interpretation, either are fine interpretations and Paul might have really been suggesting both. In any case, both are vital to the Christian life. As recorded by John 3:5, Jesus said it, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."
To be continued... I will, eventually, finish this study. :)
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